austerity measures tied to the international bailout deal keeping the country from bankruptcy. Conservative New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras, the winner of Sunday's election, has promised to negotiate easier terms for Greece, backed by likely coalition

Greek socialist party head says coalition government could be formed by Wednesday

Costas Skandalidis on leaving the Greek Parliament building shortly before midnight. At the core of any administration would be Antonis Samaras' New Democracy, which came first in Sunday's vote and won 129 of Parliament's 300 seats — short of the 151 needed

The next steps in the process of forming a Greek government

practical terms, however, it will need a much stronger majority to have a real chance of success. — New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras receives a presidential mandate Monday to start coalition-building talks. He will have three days in which to strike

Greeks Vote in Pivotal Elections

would be unleashed by cutting a member of the euro zone loose. On the right, establishment heir and New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras says rejection of the EU/IMF bailout would mean a return to the drachma and even greater calamity, although he

Snapshot: What Greece's Next Government Wants to Change

cuts of 11.7 billion euros for 2013 and 2014, to soften their impact on a rapidly sinking economy. New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras has said they should be spread out over four years through 2016. Socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos has said the

Greece's New Democracy Seeks Bailout Coalition

of imposing punishing austerity measures in a near-bankrupt economy while containing rising social tensions. Party leader Antonis Samaras was due to meet Evangelos Venizelos, the head of the Socialist PASOK party at 1500 GMT after he received a mandate

German Official Hints at More Time for Greece to Meet Fiscal Targets

cut its budget deficit to below 3 percent of Greek GDP in 2014. The hints at leniency should help Greek conservative leader Antonis Samaras, whose New Democracy party narrowly beat the radical leftist anti-austerity SYRIZA movement in Sunday's election

Soccer-Euro-Spain, Italy play in shadow of euro crisis

street, given everything that is going on." The team's shock win over Russia may have been one factor in conservative Antonis Samaras's narrow win in Sunday's polls. That has headed off for now the prospect of an exit from the euro that could have

EU Barroso: Banking Union Can Be Built Quickly Without Changing Treaty

privatization the program has not delivered as we could have expected." He added he'd congratulated New Democracy's leader Antonis Samaras and that "it is now crucial a stable and cohesive Greek government is formed quickly." The leaders also stressed